New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-07-13
Wayside Sketches.
Written for the Review By
Artlsas2- p. Fischer

IL.
Dover being a flag station we were
under the necessity of stopping on our
train, leaving as we did at an irregular
hour. Having succeeded in this we.
were soon flying over the garden land
Of Minnesota. The grandest scenery
imaginable unfolds itself along this
route &c. & NV all the way to Wi
mona, the road passing through an im-
mense valley, on both sides Of which
the bluffs rising in giant proportions
leave the beholder in state OF soul-1n-
spring enthusiasm. which is not less
ened BY the intellectual fancies shaping
these rude natural limestone cliffs into
monstrous castles and forts, giants
castles and burial monuments, obellsks
and pyramids. AS the train was rapid
" passing along, there came into sight,
among other things, an immense
shaft OF solid rock about two hundred
feet long, rising perpendicularly into
the air at the junction of another valley
with the one we we're passing through.
eff it was only possible thought T.,
s.that we could question that solitary
witness, regarding the ancient periods
which he has outliyed; what.a wonder
full story could he not tellp suppose
he would tell us that these valleys, now
such fertile lands, were once the bot
toms Of some mighty river and its
branches, which in past time carried its
foaming waters southwark; standing
where he does he could easily give us
the key to many mystery concerning
the ancient extinct tribes; to him it
could be an easy matter to picture us
the upheavalS Of a Silurian, Devonion
or even an Azoic Age, he could give us
the complete history Of those bluffs
and If not of the giants and dwarfs, dew
lis and demons with which fancy inhab-
its them, yet of the giant forces and of
the furious heat which constructed them,
and of the results which these had.
He would be able to tell US
of the furious prehistoric battles
fought by the mammoth megasaurus
with the plesiosaurus; more than that,
he could be able to give such lectures
on geology as would completely reyo-
lutionize that science but why this
specializing? He remains simply the
same dumb witness and probably will.
when our age has grown a dumb mys-
terry, until at last in the universal clash
of worlds. in the upheaval OF to us the
most important part Of the universe, he
will sink back into chaos from whence
he was thrown. The same unsolvable
mystery as before.
While all this was rapidly passing, the
sun, that tyrant Of the heavens causing
all other lightbearers to vanish into OBJ
liyion when he appears, gradually rose
higher and the thrilling call Of La
Crosse woke us from our reverie.
La Crosse (French word signifying
.sthe cross is one of the wonders Of
our country, u city q few years ago very
little heard OF, now grown so as to rank
among the great cities of the west. But
why should i. not when railroads and
steamship companies, in a body, re-
solve to pass It that one point are
they not one Ct the factors absolutely
necessary to procure growth to an am
bilious city? Aud here we have these
rivers and six to seven railway compa
MES! The last year progress has been
indeed wonderful; where year ago Q
ries to-day stand round houses, factor
les and dozens of streets, lined with
houses built in neat substantial style.
When driving another way we could
see here and there a residence, today
there stands residence side of residence,
all built up in the latest style with the
latest Improvements. There are all the
modern conveniences, such as tele-
phone, electric light, gas, water, fire
companies, etc. "a post Office building
is projected that will cost about $780,
600. A nong public baildlngs might be
mentioned the high school, court house,
fire co.'s headquarters, opera house,
etc. The religious wants of the COM
munity are well provided for; standing
on corner Main and Sixth streets we
enumerated ten churches within the
neighborhood Of four blocks. The
Turnverein has a spacious, massive
| built hall with q large park and offers
ample opportunities for the various as
sociations connected with it. a net of
street cartracks stretches itself through
out the city making that service well
nigh perfect. The cemetery deserves
special mention. The plating out Of
the same and the general arrangement
is very beautiful the whole is under
the control of 3 company who have
established greenhouse near by, which
furnishes all wants in that line It might
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